There have been plenty of pats on the back to Favreau from the fan community since footage of Cowboys and Aliens has been surfacing, but one little fact has managed to slip through the cracks: what are the plans for Iron Man 3 now that he’s moved off of the franchise?

Well, THR seems to have a solid lead on an answer, as Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black has been having some meetings as of late with the suits at Marvel.

The writer/director has powwowed with Marvel execs about his take on the third installment in the blockbuster franchise. As of now he is being considered for the directing job, but the assumption is that if he gets the gig, he would also write a draft.

Insiders said that Black’s involvement is far from a sure thing, and that other filmmakers were being looked at.

Marvel is keeping the story direction of Iron Man 3 — which returns Robert Downey Jr. in the title role — secret.

Disney, which owns Marvel, is scheduled to release the threequel on May 3, 2013.

Black has been known as one of the great Crime Noir writers of the new generations with films like The Last Boy Scout, and Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang in his resume. It would also be an interesting match for director, as Bang Bang is the only film Black has directed to date.

We expect more solid news to come through as we draw closer to this year’s San Diego Comic-Con.